Fences may make good neighbors in poet Robert Frost’s famous poem.
But Lincoln’s leaders apparently thought that electric fences do not.
Electric fences have been banned within the city limits since at least 1963. In fact, having an electric fence is not a zoning violation but a criminal offense.
Now, a South Carolina company wants an exception to that ban for businesses, and the City Council is delaying a decision for two months so city administrators can make sure there are no unintended consequences.
There are potential safety concerns, particularly with children and elderly people and people with heart conditions, said Chad Blahak, Building and Safety Department director.
Electric fences have generally been used in rural areas to contain animals, he said.Ìý
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“We want to know how this impacts the bigger picture, what other communities are doing," said Rick Hoppe, chief of staff to Mayor Chris Beutler. "We feel like there are some questions that should be answered before we move forward,"
The proposed ordinance would allow an electric fence around businesses, with a special permit -- with signs and inside a separate perimeter fence.
The electric fence ban would continue for residential areas.Ìý
The fences in the proposed ordinance are aimed at large storage areas, “with a lot of stuff outside that folks can walk by and steal,†said Michael Pate of Electric Guard Dog, a security company based in Columbia, South Carolina.
The fence is an alarm system and a physical deterrent, he said during a City Council hearing Monday afternoon.
The Electric Guard Dog fence operates on a 12-volt battery connected to a capacitor that amplifies the battery's charge to 7,000 volts. The capacitor releases a charge every 1.5 seconds, Pate said.
An alarm goes off when the voltage drops substantially, notifying the parent company.
Touching the fence is like touching a door handle in your home and seeing a spark, said Pate.
“it’s going to pop you. You are not going to do it again,†he said.
There should not be any concern about safety, said Pate. The electric fences are tested and have been used in communities across the country.Ìý
Electric Guard Dog has been trying to get its product allowed in Lincoln for a year and has a contract with local automobile recycler LKQ Auto Parts to build an electric security fence around some of its salvage yard.Ìý